The Karnataka High Court raised serious concerns over sensational media coverage in the Renukaswamy murder case involving actor Darshan. The Court questioned unchecked “media trials” despite an existing gag order and reserved its verdict on curbing such reporting.
The Karnataka High Court on Thursday raised serious concerns over the growing trend of sensationalised media reporting in the high-profile Renukaswamy murder case involving Kannada actor Darshan Thogudeepa. The Court expressed worry that excessive and dramatic media coverage may interfere with the administration of justice and affect the fairness of the trial.
Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum openly questioned the unchecked role of media outlets and social media platforms in such sensitive criminal cases. Highlighting the issue of “media trials,” the judge observed,
“How to deal with these people (media outlets, social media). They are parallely holding a media trial. What is the remedy actually? There is already a gag order,”
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indicating that despite judicial restrictions, reporting continues to cross limits.
The Court has reserved its verdict on a plea filed by Darshan seeking restrictions on media coverage related to the case. The actor has argued that ongoing reporting is violating his fundamental right to a fair trial and his right to privacy.
It is important to note that back in 2024, the High Court had already passed an order restraining media houses from publishing or sharing confidential details from the chargesheet in the Renukaswamy murder case. Despite this, the Court was informed that several media platforms continue to broadcast sensitive content.
The case relates to the murder of Renukaswamy, a 33-year-old auto driver, whose body was discovered on June 9, 2024. According to the prosecution, the victim was allegedly attacked after he sent inappropriate messages to Pavithra Gowda, who is said to be Darshan’s partner and is also an accused in the case. Darshan, identified as the prime accused, is alleged to have instigated the crime.
In his recent plea, Darshan highlighted that the media has been airing highly dramatized content, including AI-generated reconstructions of the crime scene. He also pointed out that television debates involving the victim’s family members, legal experts, and retired police officers are discussing ongoing court proceedings, which could prejudice the trial.
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Advocate Pratham N appeared on behalf of Darshan and argued that such reporting is crossing legal and ethical boundaries.
During the hearing, Justice Magadum also sought assistance from the Union government on how to control such media trials effectively. Representing the government, Advocate Kumar MN, appearing for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITy), suggested that Darshan could initiate contempt of court proceedings against those violating the 2024 gag order.
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He further submitted that if the Court finds that such reporting is obstructing the administration of justice, it has the authority to direct MEITy to order online intermediaries and digital platforms to remove such content.
The matter now awaits the Court’s final decision, which is expected to have significant implications on media reporting standards in ongoing criminal trials, especially in the digital age where information spreads rapidly across platforms.
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